Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Encyclopedia
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it built ships as part of the U.S. Government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program
Emergency Shipbuilding program
The Emergency Shipbuilding Program was a United States government effort to quickly build simple cargo ships to carry troops and materiel to allies and foreign theatres during World War II. Run by the U.S...
. Operated by a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation, the shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
was located at Kearny Point where the mouth of the Hackensack River
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
meets Newark Bay
Newark Bay
Newark Bay is a tidal bay at the confluence of the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers in northeastern New Jersey. It is home to the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the largest container shipping facility in Port of New York and New Jersey, 3rd largest and one of busiest in the United States...
. in the Port of New York and New Jersey
Port of New York and New Jersey
The Port of New York and New Jersey comprises the waterways in the estuary of the New York-Newark metropolitan area with a port district encompassing an approximate area within a radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument...
. The shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
is now part of River Terminal, a massive disitribution facility that is partially a foreign trade zone
Foreign trade zone
A foreign-trade zone in the United States is a geographical area, in United States Ports of Entry Ports of Entry, where commercial merchandise, both domestic and foreign receives the same Customs treatment it would if it were outside the commerce of the United States...
.
According to John T. Cunningham
John T. Cunningham
John T. Cunningham is a journalist, writer, and historian who has published numerous works related to the history of his native state, New Jersey....
in “Made in New Jersey,” Federal ”completely proved its might. On one day alone in May 1942, the company launched four destroyers. By 1943, Federal Shipbuilding was employing 52,000 people and building ships faster than any other yard in the world."
Ships built
An incomplete list of ships built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company include:- Cruisers
- USS Atlanta (CL-51)USS Atlanta (CL-51)USS Atlanta of the United States Navy was the lead ship of the Atlanta class of 11 light cruisers. She was the third Navy ship named after the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Designed to provide anti-aircraft protection for US naval task groups, Atlanta served in this capacity in the naval Battles of...
- USS Juneau (CL-52)USS Juneau (CL-52)The first USS Juneau was a United States Navy Atlanta-class light cruiser sunk at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. In total 687 men, including the five Sullivan brothers, were killed in action as a result of its sinking....
- USS Juneau (CL-119)USS Juneau (CL-119)The second USS Juneau was the lead ship of the United States Navy Juneau-class light cruiser laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey on 15 September 1944; launched on 15 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. B. L. Bartlett; and commissioned 15 February 1946, Captain...
- USS Spokane (CL-120)USS Spokane (CL-120)USS Spokane was a United States Navy Juneau-class light cruiser laid down on 15 November 1944 at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey; launched on 22 September 1945, sponsored by Miss Patrice Munsel; and commissioned on 17 May 1946, with Captain L. E...
- USS Fresno (CL-121)USS Fresno (CL-121)The second USS Fresno was a United States Navy Juneau-class light cruiser launched on 5 March 1946 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Kearny, New Jersey, sponsored by Mrs. Ruth R. Martin; and commissioned on 27 November 1946, with Captain Elliott Bowman Strauss in command...
- USS Atlanta (CL-51)
- Destroyers
- USS Kearny (DD-432)USS Kearny (DD-432)USS Kearny , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was a United States Navy ship named for Commodore Lawrence Kearny, who was known for his tenacity in capturing slave traders in West-Indian waters and his tireless efforts in fighting Greek pirates in the Mediterranean.-Early history:Kearny was launched 9...
- USS Ericsson (DD-440)USS Ericsson (DD-440)USS Ericsson , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named after John Ericsson, who is best known for devising and building the Civil War ironclad ....
- USS Saufley (DD-465)USS Saufley (DD-465)USS Saufley , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Lieutenant Richard Saufley....
- USS Waller (DD-466)USS Waller (DD-466)USS Waller , a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Major General Littleton Waller, USMC ....
- USS Nelson (DD-623)USS Nelson (DD-623)USS Nelson , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Charles P. Nelson, who served during the Spanish-American War and World War I....
- USS Stevenson (DD-645)USS Stevenson (DD-645)USS Stevenson , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be assigned that name. The first vessel, Stevenson , was cancelled during construction and never completed. Both ships are named for John H...
- USS Stockton (DD-646)USS Stockton (DD-646)USS Stockton , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Commodore Robert F. Stockton....
- USS Thorn (DD-647)USS Thorn (DD-647)USS Thorn , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Jonathan Thorn.Thorn was laid down on 15 November 1942 at Kearny, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.; sponsored by Mrs...
- USS Dortch (DD-670)USS Dortch (DD-670)USS Dortch was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, the only Navy ship named for Isaac Foote Dortch, who was awarded the Navy Cross....
- USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692)USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692)USS Allen M. Sumner , the original Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was named for Allen Melancthon Sumner, a USMC captain, who was killed in action during World War I....
- USS Moale (DD-693)USS Moale (DD-693)USS Moale was the second Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was named for Lieutenant Edward Moale, Jr. , who performed heroic duty during the Spanish-American War....
- USS Ingraham (DD-694)USS Ingraham (DD-694)USS Ingraham was a United States Navy Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, the third ship in U.S. Navy history to be named for Duncan Ingraham. She was in commission from 1944 to 1971.-Construction and commissioning:...
- USS Cooper (DD-695)USS Cooper (DD-695)USS Cooper , a , is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Elmer Glenn Cooper, a naval aviator who died in a seaplane accident in 1938. The Cooper was launched 9 February 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. Elmer G. Cooper; and...
- USS English (DD-696)USS English (DD-696)USS English , an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, named for Rear Admiral Robert Henry English, a submariner who commanded the and was awarded the Navy Cross and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal...
- USS Charles S. Sperry (DD-697)USS Charles S. Sperry (DD-697)USS Charles S. Sperry , an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was named for Charles Stillman Sperry, the commanding officer of the . Sperry would later attain the rank of Rear Admiral....
- USS Compton (DD-705)USS Compton (DD-705)USS Compton , an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was named for Lewis Compton, who served in active duty in the Navy during World War I and Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 9 February 1940 to 13 February 1941....
- USS Gainard (DD-706)USS Gainard (DD-706)USS Gainard , an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was named for Joseph Gainard, who was awarded the Navy Cross for distinguished service while Master of American merchant steamer City of Flint during 1939....
- USS Soley (DD-707)USS Soley (DD-707)USS Soley , an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, was named for James R. Soley, who became Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1899. Soley was responsible for the collection and publication of Union and Confederate Naval records...
- USS Gyatt (DD-712)USS Gyatt (DD-712)USS Gyatt , was a in the United States Navy, named for U.S. Marine Corps Private Edward E. Gyatt. Private Gyatt was a member of the First Marine Raider Battalion in the Battle of Guadalcanal. As part of the advance force, he held his post until killed by an enemy grenade.Gyatt was built by...
- USS Black (DD-666)USS Black (DD-666)USS Black was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Lieutenant Commander Hugh D. Black , who was killed in action during the sinking of his ship, in February 1942....
- USS William R. Rush (DD-714)USS William R. Rush (DD-714)USS William R. Rush was a in the United States Navy during the Korean War. She was named for William R. Rush.William R. Rush was laid down on 15 October 1944 at Newark, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation; launched on 8 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs...
- USS Kearny (DD-432)
- Maritime Commission tankers converted into escort carriers
- Esso TrentonUSS Sangamon (CVE-26)USS Sangamon was an escort carrier converted from an oiler, the second ship to carry her name. She was one of 12 Cimarron class oilers built on a joint Navy-Maritime Commission design later duplicated by the T3-S2-A1 type...
, launched in 1939 - MarkayUSS Suwannee (CVE-27)USS Suwannee was laid down on 3 June 1938 at Kearny, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, under a Maritime Commission contract as Markay ; launched on 4 March 1939, sponsored by Mrs. Howard L...
, launched in 1940
- Esso Trenton
- Liberty ShipLiberty shipLiberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
- SS Louise Lykes one of the first Liberty ships launched Liberty Fleet DayLiberty Fleet Day (Victory Fleet Day)27 September 1941 was dubbed as “Liberty Fleet Day” due to the 14 “Emergency” vessels that were launched in shipyards across the United States. This fleet included the first Liberty ship SS Patrick Henry, one troop transport, a tanker, a US Navy ammunition ship and a Royal Navy aircraft carrier...
27 September 1941
- SS Louise Lykes one of the first Liberty ships launched Liberty Fleet Day